A Tiny Slip Ch. 01

"Grrrrrrrrr....hunnnnnnnnnn.....grrrrrr......"

Bowser growled, then snapped at the person in front of him. It was all Cindy could do to control the angry dog. She looked up at him.

"Why, Bowser doesn't like you....Pastor Raymond Westboro!" Cindy exclaimed. She held Bowser forward, and he snapped his jaws at Westboro, growling furiously.

"So..." said Cindy. "It's been you all along, Pastor. You were behind the murder of Pete Feeley, the theft of Amy's organ, the shooting of Pamela Feeley and Tanya Perlman's paralysis. You, Pastor, are the Consultant of Crime!"

"Get that foul beast away from me!" roared Westboro. Bowser growled and snapped at him again. "I'll see you in hell, you dyke bitch!" He raised his left arm, and as Teresa went for her gun, Westboro pushed a button on what looked like a car key fob.

All of the lights went out.

There was the sound of scuffling for a second, then quietness. Then a cigarette lighter flamed up, held by Chief Griswold. Joanne got out her cellphone and turned on the 'Flashlight' app. The Sheriff and others did likewise with their cellphones.

Cindy had dived under the table, to protect Bowser in case Westboro tried to hurt the dog. She now crawled out, handed Bowser to Chief Griswold, and ran out behind Joanne, Teresa following.

"Such a good dog, Bowser, such a good dog." said Griswold, stroking Bowser to calm the shaking, agitated dog down as the stunned group of people looked on in the dimly lighted room. It would take a good deal of such petting before Bowser would calm down. But this dog had had his day... he had exposed the Consultant of Crime.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Sheriff, Chief Griswold, a word with you?" said Adele Peabody as she came into the private Council Chamber some minutes later, after the lighting was restored.

"Certainly, Mrs. Peabody." said the Sheriff. The Council Members peered at her, especially Kelly Carnes and Thomas P. Cook.

"Why don't you clear this chamber first." said Mrs. Peabody. The Sheriff ordered everyone out. When Cook protested, he found a gun in his face.

"Get. Out." said Daniel Allgood. "Or I will kill you now." Cook looked furious, but left.

Once alone, Mrs. Peabody said to the men as she petted Bowser, who seemed to like her very much, "I know that Pastor Westboro was the Consultant of Crime, as the Police are calling him. I have evidence of some of his crimes, and kept this evidence a secret so that he would not kill me. I will give you that evidence now."

"That's great, Mrs. Peabody." said Sherif Allgood. "Let's go get it."

"It's in here." said Peabody. "It's also in the main Council chamber. Let me show you." She went to the Great Seal of the Town & County, which was hanging on the wall behind the projection screen. Raising the screen, she put her hand behind the Seal, a large wooden disk, and pushed a small knot of wood. A panel slid open, and she extracted a large manila envelope.

She handed the envelope to the Sheriff, who opened the envelope and took out the contents. As he looked at the photos, he nearly got sick. He passed each one to Griswold as he looked at them."

"These are... simply disgusting." the Sheriff said. "I cannot un-see this."

"No, we can't." said the old Chief, who had seen a great many very bad things in his long Police life. "But once this becomes public, it's all over for Westboro's reputation, and it saves the Commander."

The pictures were of Westboro, naked, engaging in sexual acts... and the only way to describe it is that he was doing these acts with the kidnapped 'merchandise' of the Reverend Jonas Oldeeds. Illegal to be sure. Disgusting to be more sure.

"I'm going to go swear out a warrant against Westboro," said Sheriff Allgood, barely able to speak, "for these illegal acts." With that, he took the evidence and left for the Courthouse.

Part 6 - The Chase

As Cindy, Teresa and Joanne tore down the stairs and towards the front door, they heard a helicopter taking off from the lawn of Courthouse Square. Getting outside, they saw a Bell 47-OH-13 helicopter with a clear 'soap bubble' canopy rising into the air, then taking off to the south.

"Let's go!" Cindy said, running for her SUV. Teresa got into the shotgun seat.

"Where's Joanne?" Cindy yelled.

"I don't know. Drive!" yelled Teresa. They tore off after the helicopter, Teresa keeping it in her sight as Cindy drove...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The policewoman came to Julie Newton's cell. "Okay, sweetie, let's go. More interrogations for you."

"Sure." said Julie, peering at the woman. The policewoman walked Newton past the guards to the entrance to the hall that led to the interrogation rooms. Newton then showed no surprise as the police woman walked her past that hall, around a corner, and into a small room.

"Quiet." said the woman as she pulled up the large drain grate in the floor. "Follow me down." The woman went down, and Julie followed.

They were in a basement room. The woman led Julie to an iron door, and opened it with a key. They went through, and the woman locked the door back. She'd replaced the grate in the floor as well.

They went down the dank, wet tunnel for what seemed forever. Julie saw a light at the end of the tunnel, with a grated door covering it. As they got near that door, the woman stopped.

"Okay, Julie," the woman said. "This is your chance. I need someone of your talents in my organization. If you agree to work for me, you'll get a pardon and a new start with us. You'll undergo a training program that isn't bad at all, and you'll be a better person for it. What do you say?"

"Working for the CIA?" asked Julie. "I could do worse... Mrs. Allgood."

"You're a smart lady." said Melina.

"Yes, I thought that was you that shot my motorcycle out from under me." said Newton. "So that you could recruit me later. Glad you didn't miss."

"I never miss." replied Melina. "All right, let's go." She opened the door to the grate... and was grabbed by two men. Then the TASER was fired into her back. As Melina writhed in agony, a plastic zip-tie secured her hands.

"You idiot bitch." said Julie. "Do you think I have forgotten for one moment who murdered my beloved Harold Malone? Do you think I would ever work with you, you God-damned bitch?"

"Guess not." Melina said flatly.

Julie kicked at Melina, and caught her in the leg. "And now... you're going to tell us where Troy's children are."

"I have no idea." said Melina. One of the men kicked her brutally in the back. As he attempted another kick, Melina swiftly worked her hands under her feet so that her arms were in front of her. She tried to protect her head from the kicks, then the other man kicked her hard in the ribs.

"UHH!!!!" Melina cried out.

"Where are the fucking children?!?!?" yelled Julie. "You've got one minute to answer, or we kill your husband and your children!" More kicks rained down, battering Melina.

"One more chance, whore!" Julie snarled. "Troy's children... or Daniel Allgood and your children. Who do you prefer to see die?"

After a couple of more kicks, Melina gasped out "In Dr. Fredricson's office... nursery... back room..."

"Take her and check it out." said Julie. "If she's lying, rape her to death, and then call me and I'll kill Allgood and his kids." One of the two men hoisted Melina over his shoulder and they left.

Some minutes later, Julie Newton left the tunnel. It emptied not far from the River, and had been a storm drain but was rarely needed now. As Julie made her way towards the road, she was shocked to see a man in a suit and tie seemingly raise out of nowhere!

"Don't move, Newton!" yelled FBI Special Agent in Charge Jack Muscone. "You are under arrest, yet again. This time, though, it'll be the Feds having pleasant conversations with you." Martin Nash came up behind his former TCPD colleague and affixed handcuffs to her, behind her back, as he recited her considerable rights to her...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"It landed at Ward Harvester." said Teresa. Indeed, the Bell 47 had landed in the big concrete parking lot.

"Yeah, the building where Ned shot Don, Don got Eleanor to shoot Ned." Cindy said. "Last place in the world I want to be."

"Probably why the bastard chose it." Teresa said. "Let's go get him."

Cindy radioed their location in to Headquarters and asked for backup. Not waiting for a real response, she got out, got an M-4 from the back of her SUV, handed it to Teresa, then got a shotgun for herself.

There was no one in the helicopter. The policewomen went to the open trucking bay of the warehouse and peeked in. They could see no one. They went inside, Teresa leading, Cindy covering and following.

"Wait!" Teresa whispered. "Did you hear something?"

After a moment, Cindy said "Yeah, someone moaning. Over there." At the left end of the warehouse (from the direction they entered) was an area to work on vehicles, with a pit to work on vehicles, farm equipment and forklifts, from below. They made their way to it. Lying in the pit was Mr. Thaddeus Ward.

"He's been shot!" Teresa whispered. She went down into the pit.

Just then, they heard the helicopter roar up. Cindy went after it, but it was too late; the helicopter took off. She hurried back to the pit.

"Who did this to you, Mr. Ward?" Teresa asked as she checked his wounds. He'd been shot in the chest and stomach. It looked bad.

"Westboro." Mr. Ward whispered. "Westboro did it. He's an insidiously... evil man..."

"Just relax, we'll get you to the hospital." Teresa said. Cindy was going for her radio and Teresa was standing up when Teresa heard a *clink!*. She did not waste time, and began tackling Cindy even as it started.

*Ratta-tatta-tatta-tatta!*

Bullets flew over their heads, zinging as they bounced off the walls. Teresa quickly looked up and saw that four men had come into the trucking bay door, and were now firing at them.

The machine gun fire ceased for a moment. And then they heard a voice call out "Come on out, you fucking sluts! Come on out, Ross, you dyke bitch! I'll make a real woman out of you like I did your bitch Jenna Stiles!"

"Come on out, pussycats!" yelled another man. "Come on out! We'll give you some prime dick! You'll love it!" The men laughed and continued their taunts and promises to repeatedly rape the women.

Teresa looked over at Cindy... and for the first time she saw fear in Cindy's eyes. Real fear. The fear that every woman feels more often than they'd like to admit.

Cindy just looked at her friend and said "Teresa, promise me... you won't let them take me alive." She pulled up the hem of her pants to reveal a small revolver strapped to her ankle. Teresa was in shock, but she nodded.

"Do the same for me?" Teresa asked. Cindy nodded.

"Well, only one fucking way out of here." Teresa said. She readied the M-4. She stood up and began firing at her attackers.

Cindy pulled her back down just in time. Bullets flew overhead, just over the ground level, where Teresa's head had just been. The firing continued for a second... then seemed to get louder, more intense!

Teresa covered Mr. Ward as the assault continued. Then Cindy realized that smoke was filling the warehouse, and drifting towards them. The high volume of machine gun fire continued, then stopped. It was eerily quiet.

They peered over the edge of the of the pit. Smoke obscured their vision, but seemed to glow in the sunlight of the door behind them. She saw four bodies lying on the ground.

And then... through the smoke came the silhouette of a man, in that full brim cap, trenchcoat loosely on his body. Cindy had never felt such exultant relief. It was the Iron Crowbar himself!

"Well, ladies." I said as I got up to them, members of my SWAT Team behind me, all of us in black uniforms. "If you're finished chatting, we have work to do."

"Don!" gasped Cindy. "Oh my God, it's you!"

"Don!" Teresa yelled. "We've got a wounded man, here!" I called for Medics, and some from the University Ambulance Service came in, put Mr. Ward on a stretcher, and rushed him out.

"Four dead bodies." I said. I took off the masks of two of them. I did not recognize them. Then I removed the mask of a heavy set man. "Agent Greenwalt of the SBI." I said. Then I said to Cindy "The last one is yours."

She removed the mask of the last dead man, and gasped. "Oh my God, it's Gor-don!" Yes, the young punk assistant to Jenna Stiles had been this little gang's leader.

"Yep, I got a tip to his location and followed him here." I said. "Called in the SWAT team when it became obvious where they were going."

Cindy took the gun strapped to her ankle (which was illegal, but I wasn't going to arrest her with a gun in her hand(!)), a .22 WMR revolver, and fired a bullet into Gor-don's head in a coup de grâce. "That was for Jenna." Cindy said simply.

"Okay, ladies, let's go get the bastard." I said. I looked at Teresa, who was quiet. Something wasn't right... and then I noticed the crimson stain under her right armpit.

"Teresa, you've been shot!" I said. A bullet had flown under her arm, where her armored vest had a space for her arm. Just like where Ronald Reagan was struck when they attempted to assassinate him.

Teresa looked down. "It... it doesn't hurt, I didn't feel..." She fainted just as I got to her, catching her in my arms.

"MEDIC!" I yelled as I rushed outside. Sergeant Irwin rushed up.

"We'll take her to the Hospital in my car!" he said, opening the back door of his cruiser. I put Teresa inside, Patrolman Hicks got in the back with her as Sergeant Irwin got in the driver's seat.

As Cindy was about to get in the car, I held her back. "No, there's nothing you can do." I said. "I need you with me!" Cindy nodded as she watched Irwin's car tear out of the parking lot and onto the road, blue lights flashing and sirens wailing.

We ran to my SUV. "Where to?" Cindy asked.

"First Baptist Church." I said. "It's going to happen there." We tore off, and I could tell that Cindy was wondering if her best friend's life was the price we had just paid...

Part 7 - The Trap Slams Shut

"Where is Reverend Patterson?" said Pastor Derkins of the First Baptist Church. "His plane is due, and no sign of him."

"He should be here very soon." said Pastor Fred Bundy, assistant to Rev. Patterson. "I tell you what, I'm going to get a vehicle to drive me to the airport. I'll be back shortly." He left, leaving Pastor Derkins stunned. Derkins did not notice that nearly all of Patterson's security team were no longer anywhere to be found.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Carrying the manacled Melina Allgood over his shoulder, Agent Fred Dixon led the way into the Psychology Building, followed by turncoat CIA Agent Griswold (no relation to our Chief).

They came into Laura Fredricson's office, and saw three women: Phyllis Troy, Gayle Roberts... and Dr. Laura Fredricson herself.

"Well, well, well... reports of your death were greatly exaggerated, Dr. Fredricson." said Fred Dixon, aiming a powerful handgun at the women.

"No shit." said Agent Griswold, also well armed. "Dr. Casey Walker told us you weren't really dead, but I didn't think we'd find you here."

The women winced as Melina was thrown violently to the floor.

"What do you bastards want?" asked Laura, her voice a snarl.

"Your children." said Dixon. "Tell us where your children are, or we will kill this bitch in front of you." With that, he drew back his leg and kicked Melina in the back of the head as hard as he could. She was protecting her head with her hands as best she could. Then Griswold kicked her hard in the upper back.

"Where are the children!?" yelled Dixon.

"I'll never tell you, even if you kill all of us." said Laura. "You'll kill us anyway."

"No." said Dixon. "We'll leave your assistant and Mrs. Troy alive; the Consultant agreed to let her live. But if you don't tell us where the children are, there will be a lot of blood shed until we do find them."

With that, both men continued to kick Melina as hard as they could, in the belly and ribs and at her head and face, trying to do so at the same time so she could not protect both sides of her head...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Paulina Patterson sat in her study, baby Tasha in a car-seat/rocker combo next to her. She'd rejected the Iron Crowbar's pleas to hide her and her baby, saying she'd never run from threats and she wasn't going to start now.

There was a knock at her home's front door. "Who is it?" she asked into the speaker. A young black man that she knew from the Courthouse was on the front step.

"It's Thomas, ma'am." he said. "I have some papers for you from D.A. Krasney." That was true; he'd called and said he was sending the papers over, but she thought Epstein was going to bring them.

"Okay." she said. She buzzed him in.

Thomas came into the study. "Here you go, ma'am." he said, putting the papers on her desk.

"Thanks, Thomas." she said. "Here's some to go back---OH!!!!" she gasped as she looked down the barrel of a .22 WMR auto-pistol...

"Yeah, and I got something from the Consultant... for Troy's halfbreed kid..." the man said...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

My Police SUV came barreling into the front yard of First Baptist Church, running a barricade and almost running over a couple of Police Officers. As I screeched to a halt, I saw the Bell 47-OH-13 on the grass near the trees.

Because I was studying the chopper, I did not react in time. Cindy tore out of the SUV and rushed to the Church, going into the front door.

"Cindy, no! Wait!" I called out, but it was too late. She had gone inside.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Cindy rushed through the front lobby and into the door of the Sanctuary. Two police officers were at the door.

"Right this way, ma'am." one of them said. She rushed through... and the door clanged behind her. She heard all of the Sanctuary doors suddenly shut. Looking back, she saw the black device on the door, the bricks of plastique and the sophisticated electronics on it.

It was a bomb. She and 2000 people were now trapped in the Sanctuary of First Baptist Church.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Ah, shit." I said to myself as I saw what looked like Police Officers running out of the building. That was strange. And then I looked over near the helicopter again.

There he was, standing next to the the chopper. It was him. I turned to face him, then began walking towards him.

"Ah, 'Fools rush in!', eh, Commander?" said Raymond Westboro, chuckling, his eyes looking daggers at me. "Yes, your cousin is now trapped inside, with my Flock. Now it's just you... and me...."

To be continued.